【推荐1】We all want to live the life we dream of. However, at times, some negative (消极的) ideas may stop us. Hope the following suggestions can help to ignore (忽略) those ideas and go ahead.

Do What We Can Control

One thing we can control is doing what we can—eating healthily, exercising, reading and getting enough sleep. Doing the right things can help us achieve the most happiness. Also, it can make us move on in the right direction. However, we should also accept that there are many things we can’t control.

Take Calculated (预料到的) Risks

Success doesn’t come without risks. We all have to take risks in life, but try to make sure those risks are calculated. For example, you are working at a job that you hate, and you are dreaming of giving it up and starting your own business. The thought is a start. But one day, you can’t stand your job any more, so you leave it even though you haven’t really had a plan. This is such a big risk that it will probably make you never want to take a risk again. So just start with a small risk.

Don’t Be Afraid of Failure

Thomas Edison is one of the greatest inventors in history. However, he failed many times. Did you know Edison created an electric pen? A ghost machine? Probably not. Well, that’s because they were complete failures. But those failures put him one step closer to success. Think of failures as milestones (里程碑) towards success.

【推荐2】

Most people like shopping. When you do some shopping, you can pay in cash (现金). But now it’s easy to pay with a mobile phone. You can pay by WeChat or Alipay. You can even pay with your faces. It’s very interesting, isn’t it? Is that enough? Maybe after a few days, you can pay with your hands.

Amazon is trying its new way of payment—pay by hands. Hands are in different shapes (形状) and sizes. Your hands are your ID. They are connected to your card. When you pay with your card, it usually takes between three and four seconds. Now Amazon’s new way of payment can make it in less than half a second.

They will use a special sensor (传感器) to identify (辨认) the human hand. These high-tech sensors are different from fingerprint scanners (扫描仪). They won’t require users to let their hands touch the surfaces (表面) of the sensors. When you need to pay, you just let your hands near the sensors. Shoppers won’t even have to bring their phones. If successful, this technology will cut down the time of checking out (结账) in supermarkets. But we don’t know if the shoppers are interested in it.

【推荐3】The Spring Festival travel rush started on Friday Jan 13, 2017. It is the biggest thing for Chinese to travel in the Spring Festival. It has become the world's largest human movement every year.

During these days, billions of trips are made by travelers. The government’s forecast(预测) shows the number is similar to last year's. But it is very difficult for the government to make sure the transportation goes well.

On Friday, 8.55 million trips were made on railways, 58 million by roads, 590, 000 by waterways and 1.3 million by air across the country, according to the Ministry of Transport. New services are being used during this year’s travel rush to improve passengers’ travel speed.

A few major train stations, such as Guangzhou and Changsha, are using face recognition (面貌识别) technology for the first time. The technology can save passengers’ travel time. It is also convenient for train station staff members who check train tickets and ID cards.

The technology compares passenger’s face with the photo on ID card. Now, passengers at those stations only need to stand in front of a camera for a few seconds after putting their ID cardat a checkpoint(检查站). Many passengers experienced the technology at Guangzhou South Railway Station. They described the technology as “convenient, fast and wonderful”.

【推荐1】In Britain, you may often hear “Have dinner together any time.” or “Come to see me soon.” But you can’t really do that. People just say those things to make you feel welcome. It is better to telephone before visiting someone at home. If you get a written invitation to an event that says “RSVP”, you should reply to the person who sends the invitation to tell him if you plan to go.

You should never accept an invitation unless you really plan to go. You may refuse by saying, “Thank you for inviting me, but I’m afraid I can’t go.” And you need to tell him the reason. If you are unable to go after accepting, be sure to tell those who are expecting you as soon as possible that you will not be there. Although it is not necessarily expected that you give a gift to the host, you’d better do so, especially if you have been invited for a meal. Flowers, chocolate, or a small cake are all good gifts. It’s polite (礼貌的) to send a thank-you note or make a telephone call after the visit. In this way, you can give your thanks for the invitation.

【推荐2】China is a nation of etiquette (礼仪). Chinese people are among the most hospitable people in the world. If foreigners visit a Chinese family, they would be surprised at the warmth that they would receive as guests.

When you visit a Chinese family, the host usually makes tea for you. Then he will serve you snacks like biscuits or candy. Someone in the family will also chat with you, never letting you feel lonely.

At the same time, other family members will prepare a meal for you. Chinese people treat their guests with a big meal. They always serve more food than the guest can eat. On the table, the guests must be the first to eat. To their surprise, the Chinese host likes to pick food for visitors, which won’t happen at western tables. The Chinese family always try their best to make you comfortable at their home. As you finish eating, the host usually says “It seems that you didn’t eat much. Please have more.” Although you tell them you are full, they still put more food in your bowl.

Being warm and hospitable is an important part of Chinese culture and tradition. As Confucius (孔子) said thousands of years ago: To meet friends from afar, how happy we are!

【推荐3】What traditions are there in your city when a baby is 1 month old, 100 days old or 1 year old? I asked my dad if I’d ever made him cry before because I couldn’t remember ever seeing him cry. “There was once,” he said.

He told me that when I was 1 year old, he put a pen, a piece of paper money and a toy in front of me. He wanted to see which one I would pick first. It’s a tradition called one-year-old catch that a lot of Chinese people hold when their kids are 1 year old. According to this tradition, it shows what the kid will value most when he or she grows up. For example, if the kid takes the pen, it means he or she will be an intelligent(有知识的) person in the future. If the kid takes the money, it means he or she will value money more than others and will become rich. If the kid takes the toy, it means he or she will like fun things and play a lot.

It’s believed that all parents are interested in seeing which one their children will pick anyway.

My father said that I just sat there and looked at the three things happily. He sat across from me and waited to see the result.

According to him, I moved toward him and he held his breath. Then I pushed everything aside and went right into his arms. He didn’t realize that he was one of the choices. And that was the first and only time I made him cry.